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Nigeria drifting, stand up and fight now or perish, NLC tells Nigerians
“It is our collective responsibility to defend and safeguard our nation. This requires an unwavering commitment to the primacy of the constitution and the fundamental principles of democracy. We must critically examine and challenge all forces and actions that weaken democratic institutions and erode the sovereignty of the people.”
These were the exact words of Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), with which he tried to rouse Nigerians to action against what he considered the excesses of the government of the day, which are not only inimical to democracy, but daily put the country on the dangerous path.
At the sixth Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), during the weekend, Ajaero warned workers against believing that the current struggles in the country were about labour issues alone, urging Nigerians to critically examine and challenge all forces and actions that weaken democratic institutions and erode the sovereignty of the people.
Hear him: “We must also resist the attempt to tax the Nigerian people to death. It is a struggle for the soul of Nigeria, a struggle to build a nation where the rights of workers are respected, where labour is justly rewarded, and where the welfare of every citizen is prioritised.
“We must also confront the harsh realities of our time. The increasing penchant of the government to renege on agreements reached with the trade union movement is a cause for grave concern.
“We have seen this in the arbitrary increases in telecom tariffs, the unjust hikes in electricity tariffs, and the refusal to engage in meaningful social dialogue. These actions are not just attacks on workers; they are attacks on the very fabric of our society.
“The government and its agencies have abdicated their regulatory responsibilities, choosing instead to side with the bosses and the forces of capital. This is unacceptable, and we must brace ourselves for a struggle to rein in these excesses.
“We must also resist the attempt to tax the Nigerian people to death. At a time the national minimum wage is not being implemented appropriately, and federal civil servants are having their salaries arbitrarily reduced without recourse to negotiation, we cannot remain silent.
“These actions are not just unjust; they are a betrayal of the social contract between the government and the people. That is why we must continue talking so that the eyes of those who occupy various corridors of power will be open while in office, so they will see that when workers are paid appropriate wages, the economy benefits and the nation grows and not when they leave office.
‘’It is our collective responsibility to fight these ills and to ensure that the rights of Nigerian workers are protected. As patriots, we must resist the concentration of power in the hands of a few and the systematic subversion of constitutional order by those entrusted with governance. The democratic space must not be surrendered to authoritarian impulses, and accountability in governance can only be achieved through active and organized vigilance.”
‘’Trade unions and other progressive forces must continue to serve as the voice of the people, ensuring that those in positions of public trust are held to account.
“The NLC calls on all public officeholders to uphold their mandate with integrity and refrain from actions that betray the collective will of the Nigerian people. Dictatorship in any form is unacceptable.
“We demand that political actors operate within the democratic framework, respecting constitutional limits and prioritizing the interests of the working class and the masses. It is only through such principled governance that our nation can be steered away from crisis and placed on the path of justice, equality and true democracy.”
Addressing the outgoing leadership under Prince Adewale Adeyanju who incidentally is a deputy President of NLC, Ajaero said: “The achievements of the outgoing leadership are a testament to what is possible when we stand together in solidarity.
‘’MWUN has been at the forefront of the struggle for workers’ rights in the maritime sector, a sector that remains the lifeblood of Nigeria’s economy. From the docks to the high seas, your union has fought tirelessly to ensure that the rights and welfare of maritime workers are protected.
“You have stood firm against exploitation, injustice, and the forces of capital that seek to undermine the dignity of labour. Your victories are not just your own, they are victories for the entire working class in Nigeria and much more, they are victories for the Nigeria Labour Congress.”
Seriake Dickson, National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), on Wednesday showcased Peter Obi, its presidential candidate in the 2027 election, but gave a proviso – his importance would not be at the expense of the party.
A guest on Prime Time, a public affairs programme on ARISE NEWS Television, the former Governor of Bayelsa State, now Senator representing West at the National Assembly, maintained that the belief in some quarters that Obi’s entrance into the party was a favour was completely misplaced.
Instead, he argued that the opposite was the case, as it was the party that was doing its candidates a favour by giving them the opportunity to contest elective positions on its platform in the 2027 elections, a gesture that ought to be returned.
Hear him: “Don’t make it look like anyone is doing NDC a favour. No one is. Rather, the NDC and I and my colleagues are doing people a favour by granting our platform. If you are genuinely supporting Peter Obi and you are disparaging me, the leader, or the platform itself. That is nonsensical.”
Stressing that NDC had demonstrated confidence in Obi by adopting Obi as its sole presidential candidate and selecting a vice-presidential candidate without internal disputes, he said it was enough to earn its leadership the gratitude it deserved.
He added: “Nobody paid shishi. So, if a presidential candidate didn’t pay shishi to be made the sole presidential candidate and sole vice-presidential candidate, that same party cannot be the one saying that small people are underprivileged.
“I could have run. There’s no one more qualified than me. There’s no one more qualified than me to run for presidential candidate. None. There is no crisis within the NDC. Peter Obi is a cherished member of our party. On our own, we have made him a presidential candidate. Sole presidential candidate. And that counts for something. We are working well together. There’s no crisis.”
Invoking its zero tolerance on issues of security breaches, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has clamped down on aircraft and crew of the privately operated jet that landed on a roadway in the Ogwashi-Uku area near Asaba, Delta state.
Even with regulatory body for airline operations in Nigeria informed that no casualties were recorded in the incident, it still went for its sanctions in line with its sworn position of maintaining maximum safety at every point.
In a statement on Wednesday, Michael Achimugu, its spokesman said preliminary reports indicated that the aircraft conducted a missed approach while attempting to land at Asaba airport at about 7:43am.
Achimugu: Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, said: “Reports received from personnel at the scene indicate that all occupants safely exited the aircraft and were transported to Asaba by road,” Achimugu said. The aircraft had four (4) crew members on board. At this time, no injuries to passengers or crew have been reported.
“Preliminary information available to the authority indicated that the aircraft later departed the location and returned to Lagos without obtaining the required regulatory approval. Air traffic control was informed only after the aircraft had become airborne.”
Stressing that the action constitutes a violation of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) and is currently under investigation by the authority, he said the NCAA immediately grounded the aircraft upon its arrival in Lagos pending the outcome of investigations.
He added: “The flight crew have been placed under regulatory review while the NCAA conducts further inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the occurrence and the subsequent unauthorised departure of the aircraft.
“The NCAA has formally notified the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) of the occurrence and is coordinating with relevant aviation stakeholders, including the operator and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.”
Stating that the NCAA immediately suspended the operator’s permit for non-commercial flight (PNCF), he added that the authority would review all operational, airworthiness, maintenance and flight-related records as part of its statutory responsibilities and take further enforcement action in accordance with applicable aviation regulations.
Achimugu said the NCAA remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of aviation safety, security, and regulatory compliance within the Nigerian aviation sector.
Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), on Wednesday, swore to the integrity of the process that led to his picking the party’s ticket, saying it remained untainted and consistent with the wills of the members.
Against the backdrop of the insistence of Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), that he stole the ticket by corrupting the process, Atiku, Vice President between 1999 and 2007, pooh-poohed the claim.
Before the former SGF Rotimi Amaechi, former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transportation as well as Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, former Chairman of Nigeria Economic Summit Group, both candidates in the contest for the ADC ticket, had rejected the process as flawed, even before the outcome.
Lawal, who had earlier announced his resignation from the ADC a fortnight ago and made sundry allegations of gaming the system against Atiku, had doubled down on Monday, while appearing on Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television, claiming he personally monitored the exercise and had evidence that the primary was rigged.
Hear him: “Don’t forget I was the National Vice Chairman (North-East). I was in the field during the exercise, so I have evidence. Atiku’s people are the ones trying to deny what they did. We are all human beings. We know what they did. I knew the primary was rigged at the point it was being done and the results declared.”
Regardless that neither Amaechi nor Hayatu-Deen had recanted their original position Atiku, insisted that nothing was amiss, adding that his opponents actually won in the areas of their individual popularity and stronghold.
Conveying his position through Phrank Shaibu, his spokesman, who appeared as a guest on Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television, the former VP said: “Anybody who claims rigging or irregularity in the last election should check the places and locations they won. Where are the states that Rotimi Amaechi won? If you check the figures and the margins he got there, you will know that those are his strongholds. It was not a fraudulent process.
Maintaining that the burden of proving any fraud rested on the former SGF Shaibu, Shaibu depicted his boss as the most popular among the contestants, arguing that the outcome of the event should not be surprising to anybody.
He said of the ex-SGF: “Babachir reminds me of a baby who is yanked off her mother’s breast while suckling. It is like a deprived suckling; definitely the baby will throw tantrums. He admitted on your show that his preferred candidate was Hayatu-Deen. He worked for him.”
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